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Europe 2020:
National Reform Programme
2020
April 2020
1© Crown copyright 2020
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except
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ISBN: 978-1-913635-27-5
PU: 2965
2Contents
Page
Foreword 3
Chapter 1 Introduction 5
Chapter 2 Macroeconomic context 12
Chapter 3 UK Country-specific Recommendations 15
Chapter 4 Performance and transparency 31
Annex A Measuring progress against objectives: indicators 83
3Foreword
On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union. As set out in the
Withdrawal Agreement, the United Kingdom’s legal obligations will continue in relation to the
European Semester and the Stability and Growth Pact, for the duration of the transition period.
This National Reform Programme (NRP) forms part of that European Semester process. The
annual European Semester process coordinates individual countries’ structural reform
programmes with the intention of stimulating economic growth.
The NRP is being presented to the European Commission in parallel with the UK’s 2019-20
Convergence Programme, which sets out the UK Government’s medium-term fiscal policies as
required under the Stability and Growth Pact.
This National Reform Programme focussed on the actions that the Government has been taking
to address the Country Specific Recommendations addressed to the UK by the Council of the
European Union at the end of the previous Semester cycle in July 2019:
Recommendation 1: Ensure that the nominal growth rate of net primary government
expenditure does not exceed 1.9% in 2020-2021, corresponding to an annual structural
adjustment of 0.6% of GDP.
Recommendation 2: Focus investment-related economic policy on research and
innovation, housing, training and improving skills, sustainable transport and low carbon
and energy transition, taking into account regional diversity.
The NRP also reports against policies to support the Europe 2020 strategy priorities of
employment, research and development, education, poverty and social exclusion and climate
change and energy sustainability.
The publication of the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey (ASGS) in the autumn kicks off the
European Semester cycle. The 2020 ASGS has a focus on the use of targeted investment and
implementation of structural reforms to stimulate productivity growth and environmental
sustainability.
The 2020 Country Reports were published by the Commission on 26 February 2020. The UK was
found to have made progress in meeting investment-related policy needs, including on
supporting research and innovation, boosting housing supply, facilitating the low carbon and
energy transition, and sustainable transport. The Report found that challenges remain on
training and skills. The UK was found to be performing well on reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in line with the national targets set in the Europe 2020 strategy, while it had also
made particular progress against achieving its environment-related Sustainable Development
Goals.
Under devolution settlements, policies can differ across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and
Wales. The Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive
have provided all the information contained in this report relating to their respective devolved
policy areas.
51 Introduction
Context
1.1 The work of the last ten years in bringing borrowing and debt back under control has
ensured the public finances are well placed to deal with the challenges posed by Covid-19.
1.2 The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect
them against the current economic emergency. This includes:
• An initial £330 billion of loans and guarantees for businesses, equivalent to 15%
of UK GDP
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to help firms continue to keep people in
employment. All UK employers can apply for a grant, which will help them to continue
paying part of their employees’ wages if they would otherwise have been laid off during
this crisis.
• Significant changes to the operation of statutory sick pay universal credit, and
employment and support allowance to ensure that people have quicker and more
generous access to a support system, along with the Self-Employment Income Support
Scheme.
1.3 The global economy has been hit hard by the spread of Covid-19, as well as the
accompanying containment measures. Early data releases suggest the short-term impact of
Covid-19 on the global economy may be significantly larger than that of the global financial
crisis. This has compounded existing weaknesses in both business and consumer confidence,
which contributed to the slowest rate of global GDP growth since the financial crisis in 2019
(2.9%). The spread of the virus means that growth in 2020 is likely to be significantly below that
of last year.
Productivity and Investment
1.4 Increasing productivity is the only sustainable way to drive economic growth and improve
living standards. Since 2010, the Government has put in place significant investment and reform
programmes, all contributing towards building a modern and dynamic economy, including
reducing taxes to support business investment and improving skills through investment in
apprenticeships.
1.5 Over the next five years, the Government plans to invest over £600bn in the UK’s future
prosperity, and by the end of the Parliament net investment, including in infrastructure, will be
triple the average over the last forty years in real terms. The Government recently set out plans at
the Budget which include investing £5bn to support the delivery of gigabit-capable broadband
to the hardest to reach areas, record investment in strategic roads in England and an additional
£510m to improve mobile coverage in rural areas. Further detail will be set out in the National
Infrastructure Strategy and at the Comprehensive Spending Review.
1.6 The Government is committed to ensuring the UK has a modern and efficient network of
infrastructure. The National Infrastructure Commission was established to provide impartial,
expert advice, and in July 2018 made recommendations to the Government on the UK’s
infrastructure needs over the next 30 years in the first-ever National Infrastructure
7Assessment (NIA). The Government is already taking long-term decisions to make sure there is
the infrastructure capacity to meet the needs of the future economy, and will respond fully to
the recommendations in the NIA in a National Infrastructure Strategy in the coming months. The
Government has approved the construction of Hinkley Point C, the first new nuclear power
station in the UK for a generation, and preparatory work is underway on HS2, the new
backbone of the UK rail network.
1.7 The Government remains committed to a system of strong, independent economic
regulation of the privatised utilities, which facilitates investment in key infrastructure projects,
while simultaneously ensuring that customer bills are affordable. Through the Infrastructure
Finance Review, the Government consulted on how best to support private investment in
infrastructure, so that good infrastructure projects continue to be able to access the finance they
need. The review will conclude alongside the National Infrastructure Strategy.
1.8 The Government is committed to levelling up every part of the UK and devolving power to
people and places. Now that the UK has left the European Union, we will create the UK Shared
Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the domestic successor to EU structural funds. The UKSPF will be
targeted to the UK’s specific needs, and at a minimum match the size of European structural
funds in each nation. This builds upon previous commitments to create a fund which tackles
inequalities between communities by raising productivity, especially in those parts of the UK
whose economies are furthest behind. Through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the UK
Government can cut out bureaucracy and create a fund which invests in UK priorities and is
easier for local areas to access.
1.9 The devolved administrations are also taking action to tackle structural reform challenges in
areas of devolved competence:
• In Northern Ireland, an outcomes-based approach is being taken to the work of
government. The production of an evidence-based, generational Programme for
Government is a priority for the newly f o r m e d Executive. At its centre will be a
framework of outcomes designed to target those things that will make real
improvement to people’s lives. As reflected in the New Decade, New Approach document
the immediate priorities of the new Executive are in relation to transformation of public
services delivering health and social care, education and justice; investing for the future
and delivering a fair and compassionate society.
• The priority of the Scottish Government is to support Scotland’s economic resilience and
to protect jobs, investment, and long-term prosperity and growth prospects across
Scotland. Scotland’s Economic Strategy sets out a vision to create a more cohesive and
resilient economy that improves the opportunities, life chances and wellbeing of every
citizen in Scotland. At the core of the Strategy is the Government’s Purpose, which is
underpinned by two key pillars – increasing competitiveness and tackling inequality.
Within Scotland’s Economic Strategy there are four priority areas which the Scottish
Government continues to take action across to grow Scotland’s economy, and ensure it
remains resilient. The four priority areas are:
o Investing in its people, infrastructure and assets in a sustainable way.
o Fostering a culture of innovation and research and development.
o Promoting inclusive growth and creating opportunity through a fair and inclusive
jobs market and regional cohesion.
8o Promoting Scotland on the international stage to boost trade and investment,
influence and networks.
• The Economic Action Plan, which fully incorporates the Rural Economy Action Plan, was
relaunched in January 2020 to reinforce the work this Government is taking to deliver
sustainable and inclusive economic growth. It reflects progress in implementing the
range of existing measures being taken to grow the Scottish economy as well as
highlight new commitments from last year’s Programme for Government that will help
to build a strong, vibrant and diverse economy that promotes wellbeing and attracts
investment.
• It reflects key investment in a highly skilled workforce and nurturing the economy of the
future. The actions in this plan will also put Scotland at the forefront in transitioning to a
carbon neutral, circular economy. This will enable us to reach our net zero targets by
2045. The focus on the refreshed plan is to look to the future and how we will work to
grow the economy following Brexit.
• Some of the key highlights of the plan include:
o Simplifying the business support environment through a dedicated website that
provides access to products, services and events on offer from our enterprise and
skills agencies and Business Gateway.
o The Scottish National Investment Bank to be operational in 2020, supported by
the £15m Building Scotland Fund and a further £340m in investment to 2021.
o Dedicated place-based approach to inclusive growth through a commitment to
regenerate the Clyde, with job creation, infrastructure investment, recognising
the climate change opportunity and utilising the river.
o Key focus on collective wellbeing economy to ensure that Scotland is committed
to Fair Work, ensuring a just transition to a Carbon Neutral Economy.
o Investing an additional £10m in Scotland’s workforce of to make the skills sector
more responsive to the needs of the economy, and to help people into the
labour market.
o Driving growth in the rural economy through targeted support for small and
micro businesses.
o A focus on growing exports and international investment and attracting global
talent.
• The Welsh Government’s cross-cutting national strategy, ‘Prosperity for All’, sets out the
priorities for this Government’s term, and lays the foundations for further action over the
longer term. The strategy sets out the Welsh Government’s objectives under four
themes: prosperous and secure, healthy and active, ambitious and learning, and united
and connected. The strategy also sets out five priority areas: early years, housing, mental
health, skills and social care, where a whole government approach could deliver the
greatest contribution to people’s long-term prosperity and well-being.
UK 2020 National Reform Programme
1.10 NRPs are submitted by Member States to the Commission to outline their structural reform
plans to promote growth and employment. This is part of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth. In parallel, under the Stability and Growth Pact, Member
States submit Stability Programmes (euro area Member States) or Convergence Programmes
(non-euro area Member States) reporting on budgetary and fiscal policies. In this way, the
European Semester aligns reporting cycles for Europe 2020 and the Stability and Growth Pact.
91.11 On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union. As set out
in the Withdrawal Agreement, the United Kingdom will continue to apply the EU acquis,
including in matters relating to the European Semester and the Stability and Growth Pact, for
the duration of the transition. Therefore, during this period the Government will continue to
participate in the Europe 2020:National Reform Programme, and report on its achievements.
1.12 The NRP is presented in accordance with Council recommendation 2010/410 on broad
guidelines for economic policy. The parts of the NRP relating to country-specific
recommendations (CSRs) on skills deliver the UK’s report to the Council and Commission on
employment policy measures, and complete multilateral surveillance in the EU Employment
Committee (EMCO), the Council’s examination of Member States’ employment and labour
market policies, in the light of the Employment Guidelines in the procedure specified in Article
148 TFEU.
1.13 This NRP sets out the UK’s economic prospects and plans, including:
• the macroeconomic context in the UK, consistent with the UK’s 2019-20
Convergence Programme;
• actions taken to address the two CSRs addressed to the UK by the European Council
in July 2019;
• the UK’s approach to national monitoring and actions taken in support of the five
headline Europe 2020 targets agreed by the European Council in June 2010.
1.14 The 2019 NRP draws on publicly available information, including the Spring Budget 2020
and other relevant documents and announcements. Further details are available in the original
documents.
1.15 The 2020 NRP reports on the implementation of existing structural reform commitments.
As such, it sets out recent actions taken by the UK as a whole, including those by the UK
Government and, where policies are devolved, by the devolved administrations of Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland. This distinction is made clear throughout the document. These
actions are consistent with the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines (made up of the Broad
Economic Policy Guidelines and the Employment Guidelines) presented under Articles 121 and
148 of the Treaty on the Functioning of 8 the European Union (TFEU). They also follow the
broad orientations for structural reforms provided by the European Commission’s 2019 Annual
Growth Survey (AGS).
1.16 The devolved administrations have contributed fully to the development of the 2020 UK
NRP. This is in line with the devolved administrations’ commitment to engage positively with the
EU Institutions and represent regional interests.
Stakeholder engagement
1.17 The Government consults widely on policy development as a matter of course. The
governing principle is proportionality of the type and scale of consultation to the potential
impacts of the proposal or decision being taken, and thought is given to achieving real
engagement rather than merely following bureaucratic process. Consultation forms part of
wider engagement, and decisions on whether and how to consult should in part depend on the
wider scheme of engagement. Since the NRP does not contain any new policy announcements,
it is not subject to formal consultation.
1.18 The focus of the 2020 NRP is on implementation and delivery of existing reform
commitments. Given the key role that non-governmental organisations play in delivering
10structural reforms, this document is illustrated with examples of how stakeholders are involved
in translating policies into concrete outcomes.
112 Macroeconomic context
2.1 This section sets out the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) Spring Budget
2020 economic forecasts for 2019 to 2024. This includes forecasts for aggregate gross domestic
product (GDP) growth, the components of GDP, inflation and the labour market. Both the OBR’s
forecast and the latest data on the economic indicators below cover the time period before the
outbreak of Covid-19 in the UK. These therefore do not reflect the effects of the outbreak on the
economy.
Table 2.A: Summary of the OBR’s central economic forecast1 (Percentage change on a year
earlier, unless otherwise stated)
Percentage change on a year earlier, unless otherwise stated
Forecast
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
GDP growth 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.8 1.5 1.3 1.4
GDP growth per capita 0.7 0.8 0.5 1.3 1.1 0.9 1.1
Main components of GDP
Household consumption2 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4
General government consumption 0.4 3.6 3.7 2.8 2.1 1.9 2.2
Fixed investment -0.2 0.4 -0.8 3.4 2.9 2.0 1.8
Business investment -1.5 0.3 0.0 1.8 3.0 2.4 2.3
General government 1.3 2.1 1.9 10.9 4.6 1.8 1.2
Private dwellings 3 6.5 -0.3 -4.2 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.2
Change in inventories 4 0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
Net trade4 -0.2 0.0 -0.1 -0.3 -0.2 -0.4 -0.3
CPI inflation 2.5 1.8 1.4 1.8 2.1 2.1 2.0
Employment (millions) 32.4 32.8 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4
Unemployment (% rate) 4.1 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.1
Productivity per hour 0.5 0.0 0.9 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2
1
All figures in this table are rounded to the nearest decimal place. This is not intended to convey a degree of
unwarranted accuracy. Components may not sum to total due to rounding and the statistical discrepancy.
2
Includes households and non-profit institutions serving households.
3
Includes transfer costs of non-produced assets.
4
Contribution to GDP growth, percentage points
Source: Office for National Statistics and Office for Budget Responsibility.
Growth forecast
2.2 The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that the UK economy grew by 1.4% in real
terms in 2019, 0.2 percentage points higher than the OBR expected in its Spring Statement
2019 forecast. In March 2020, the OBR forecasted that GDP would grow by 0.2% in Q1 2020
and 0.4% in Q2 2020, and expected annual GDP growth of 1.1% in 2020 and 1.8% in 2021.
1
All figures in this table are rounded to the nearest decimal place. Components may not sum to total due to rounding and the statistical discrepancy.
12Employment and wages forecast
2.3 Employment increased throughout 2019, breaking records multiple times. This strength
continued into 2020, where employment increased to a new record high of 33.0 million in the
three months to January 2020. The unemployment rate, at 3.9% in the three months January
2020 was close to the lowest rate since 1975.
2.4 Both total nominal wage growth (including bonuses) and regular nominal wage growth
(excluding bonuses) were 3.1% in the three months to January 2020. Over the same period, real
total pay growth increased to 1.6%; the 19th consecutive month of real wage growth. Real
regular pay growth increased on the year to 1.5%; the 24th consecutive month in which it was
positive. The OBR forecasted productivity growth of 0.9% 2020. Over the medium term,
productivity growth was expected to increase to around 1.2% over the remainder of the
forecast, up to 2024.
Inflation and average earnings forecast
2.5 Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation stood at 1.7% in February, a decrease from January’s
figure of 1.8% and close to 2019’s average rate of 1.8%. CPI inflation has been relatively
subdued throughout 2019, mainly due to: developments in the household energy sector that
stem from the implementation of Ofgem’s energy price cap in January 2019; weak contributions
from fuel prices; and the diminishing impact of the 2016 depreciation. The ONS’s headline
measure of inflation, the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH)
inflation, was 1.8% in January, an increase from 1.4% in December.2 The OBR forecasted CPI
inflation to be 1.4% in 2020, rising to 1.8% in 2021 and then staying around 2.0% for the rest
of the forecast period.
Table 2.B: Detailed summary of forecast
Percentage change on a year earlier, unless otherwise stated
Forecast
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
UK economy
Gross domestic product (GDP) 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.8 1.5 1.3 1.4
GDP per capita 0.7 0.8 0.5 1.3 1.1 0.9 1.1
GDP level (2018=100) 100.0 101.4 102.5 104.3 105.8 107.1 108.6
Nominal GDP 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.8 3.7 3.4 3.5
Output gap (per cent of potential
0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.0
output)
Expenditure components of GDP
Domestic demand 1.3 1.6 1.1 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.7
Household consumption¹ 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4
General government consumption 0.4 3.6 3.7 2.8 2.1 1.9 2.2
Fixed investment -0.2 0.4 -0.8 3.4 2.9 2.0 1.8
Business -1.5 0.3 0.0 1.8 3.0 2.4 2.3
General government² 1.3 2.1 1.9 10.9 4.6 1.8 1.2
Private dwellings ²
6.5 -0.3 -4.2 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.2
Change in inventories3 0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
Exports of goods and services 1.2 3.7 -0.6 -0.5 -0.6 -1.1 -1.0
Imports of goods and services 2.0 3.6 -0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2
Balance of payments current account
Per cent of GDP -3.9 -3.9 -3.8 -3.9 -4.0 -4.0 -4.1
Inflation
2
CPIH extends CPI to include costs associated with owning, maintaining and living in one’s own home as well as council tax.
13CPI 2.5 1.8 1.4 1.8 2.1 2.1 2.0
RPI 3.3 2.6 2.2 2.7 3.1 3.0 2.9
GDP deflator at market prices 2.2 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.1
Labour market
Employment (million) 32.4 32.8 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4
Productivity per hour 0.5 0.0 0.9 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2
Wages and salaries 4.8 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.3 3.2
Average earnings4 3.3 2.8 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.1 3.1
LFS unemployment (% rate) 4.1 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.1
Household sector
Real household disposable income 2.4 0.8 1.1 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.4
Saving ratio (level, per cent) 5.8 5.7 6.6 7.0 7.2 7.2 7.2
House prices 3.2 1.5 3.3 7.0 5.8 4.6 3.8
World economy
World GDP at purchasing power parity 3.6 2.9 3.0 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6
Euro area GDP 1.9 1.2 1.1 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3
World trade in goods and services 3.7 1.1 1.9 3.9 3.6 3.7 3.8
UK export markets5 3.0 1.5 1.6 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.5
¹ Includes households and non-profit institutions serving households.
2 Includes transfer costs of non-produced assets.
3 Contribution to GDP growth, percentage points.
4 Wages and salaries divided by employees.
5 Other countries' imports of goods and services weighted according to the importance of those countries in the UK's total exports.
Source: Office for National Statistics and Office for Budget Responsibility.
Outlook for the public finances
2.6 The Government has made significant progress since 2010 in restoring the public finances to
health; by 2018-19 the deficit had been reduced by four-fifths - from 10.2% of GDP to 1.8% -
and debt brought back under control. The work of the last ten years in bringing borrowing and
debt back under control has ensured the public finances are well placed to deal with the
challenges posed by COVID-19.
2.7 The OBR’s Budget 2020 forecast confirmed that the Chancellor delivered the Budget within
the Government’s fiscal rules. The current budget is in surplus of 0.5% of GDP in 2022-23;
public sector net investment averages 2.9% of GDP over the OBR’s five-year forecast period; and
the debt interest to revenue ratio remains below 6%, peaking at 3.5% in 2021-22.
However, it is clear that the impact on the economy as a result of Covid-19, and the
Government's necessary response to it will lead to a significant increase in borrowing this year
compared to the OBR's forecast. We expect this increase in borrowing to be temporary. Under
the OBR’s COVID-19 reference scenario3 borrowing is expected to rise sharply this year, but fall
back quickly in 2021-22 as temporary policy costs end and the economy recovers. The OBR note
that the government’s policy response will have substantial direct fiscal costs, but that the
measures taken should help limit the long-term damage to the economy and public finances –
and the costs of inaction would have been higher.
3
Coronavirus reference scenario, OBR, April 2020
143 UK Country-specific
Recommendations
3.1 The Country-specific Recommendations (CSRs), addressed to the UK by the Council of the
European Union in July 2019, are to:
1 Ensure that the nominal growth rate of net primary government expenditure does
not exceed 1.9% in 2020-2021, corresponding to an annual structural adjustment
of 0.6% of GDP.
2 Focus investment-related economic policy on research and innovation, housing,
training and improving skills, sustainable transport and low carbon and energy
transition, taking into account regional diversity.
Fiscal policy
Recommendation 1
Ensure that the nominal growth rate of net primary government expenditure does not
exceed 1.9% in 2020-2021, corresponding to an annual structural adjustment of 0.6% of
GDP.
Fiscal responsibility
3.2 The Government has made significant progress in restoring the public finances to health
over the last decade. By 2018-19 the deficit had been reduced by four-fifths from -10.2% of
GDP to 1.8% - and debt brought back under control.
3.3 Spring Budget 2020 was delivered within the government’s fiscal rules. These rules are: to
have the current budget at least in balance by the third year of the rolling, five-year forecast
period; to ensure that public sector net investment (PSNI) does not exceed 3% of GDP on
average over the rolling five-year forecast period; if the debt interest to revenue ratio is forecast
to remain over 6% for a sustained period, the Government will take action to ensure the debt-
to-GDP ratio is falling.
3.4 In their Spring Budget 2020 forecast, the OBR confirmed the government met these fiscal
rules. The current budget is in surplus of 0.5% of GDP in 2022-23; public sector net investment
averages 2.9% of GDP over the OBR’s five-year forecast period; and the debt interest to revenue
ratio remains below 6%.
3.5 However, it is clear that the impact on the economy as a result of COVID-19, and the
government's necessary response to it will lead to a significant increase in borrowing this year
compared to the OBR's forecast. We expect this increase in borrowing to be temporary. Under
the OBR’s COVID-19 reference scenario borrowing is expected to rise sharply this year, but fall
back quickly in 2021-22 as temporary policy costs end and the economy recovers. The OBR note
that the government’s policy response will have substantial direct fiscal costs, but that the
measures taken should help limit the long-term damage to the economy and public finances –
and the costs of inaction would have been higher.
153.6 Building on Spending Round 2019, the Government used Spring Budget 2020 to invest in
better public services and to mark the start of a decade of investment in communities across the
country. The OBR’s forecast for Spring Budget 2020 (which did not take into account the
economic impact from Covid-19 or subsequent policy response) has that Total Managed
Expenditure (TME) will have a nominal growth rate of 4.6% in 2020-21 but which will increase
TME’s proportion of GDP by 0.5% from 39.8% to 40.3%. This is within the fiscal rules set out by
government.
Investment-related economic policy
Recommendation 2
Focus investment-related economic policy on research and innovation, housing, training and
improving skills, sustainable transport and low carbon and energy transition, taking into
account regional diversity.
Research and innovation
3.7 The Government has made a commitment to reaching 2.4% of GDP investment in research
and development by 2027, and 3% in the longer term, to ensure that the UK remains at the
forefront of new products and new markets. Recent policy developments are set out below.
3.8 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), established in April 2018, brings together the seven
Research Councils, Innovate UK, and Research England, to invest in and facilitate research and
innovation activities across the UK. UKRI was responsible for spending around £7.5bn in
2019/20.
3.9 The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) brings together leading research and business
to develop the technologies and industries of the future. So far £2.6bn has been allocated to
ISCF challenges over three waves of investment.
3.10 The UK is investing heavily to maintain a strong research base capable of pioneering new
innovations that can attract investment and allow the UK to become world-leading in the key
industries of the future.
3.11 The UK’s tax credits scheme supports more companies to invest in R&D. Under the scheme,
£4.3bn has been claimed for 2017-18, supporting private expenditure of £31.3bn on R&D. In
Budget 2020, the Government raised the Research and Development Expenditure Credit rate
(RDEC) to 13% and announced consultation on whether expenditure on data and cloud
computing should qualify for the R&D tax credits.
3.12 Further detail on the UK’s approach to investment-related R&D policy is set out in chapter
4.
Housing
3.13 Over 241,000 new homes were delivered in 2018/19. This represents the highest level of
new homes delivered across England in the last 30 years and brings the total number of
additional homes delivered since 2010 to 1.5 million - clear progress towards our ambition to
deliver 300,000 homes a year on average in England by the mid-2020s.
3.14 To deliver on the Government’s ambition and make the housing market work better, we
are implementing the broad range of initiatives set out in the February 2017 Housing White
16Paper, and further significant reforms. Taken together, this includes more than £44bn of
financial support to 2022/23 and streamlined planning rules.
3.15 A key priority is delivering more affordable homes, including for social rent. To this end, the
Government has made £9.1bn available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March
2022 for housing associations and local authorities to deliver up to 250,000 new affordable
homes of a wide range of tenures, including social rent. In September 2018, the Government
announced an additional £2bn of long-term funding certainty for housing associations from
2022. This ten-year funding commitment marks the first time any government has invested such
long-term funding in new homes through housing associations.
3.16 The Government has committed over £29bn Help to Buy Equity Loan funding from April
2013 to March 2023 to support up to 470,000 households into home ownership. It is estimated
that 37% of all homes sold using the Help to Buy scheme between 2015 and 2017 would not
have otherwise been built, equating to 14.5% of all new build homes constructed over that
period.
3.17 To further support the delivery of new homes, the Government launched the Home
Building Fund in October 2016 with an initial allocation of £3bn but received an additional
£1.5bn in Budget 2017 because of the strong response from the SME sector to this intervention.
We have committed 60% of the overall £2.5bn Short Term Fund, which funds short-term
development loans (of which 93% of contracted transactions are with SMEs borrowers). We
have committed 70% of the Long Term Fund, which funds long term infrastructure and should
unlock c.128,000 homes.
3.18 To provide the infrastructure to unlock new homes, Government has continued to make
progress delivering the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF). At Autumn Budget 2018, an
additional £500m was announced for the fund, taking it to £5.5bn in total. In the last year, 110
Marginal Viability Funding projects worth £759m to unlock up to 120,000 homes were
announced as approved following funding clarification on 10 July 2019. So far, we have also
announced 25 successful Forward Funding projects, totalling almost £2.6bn that will unlock up
to 180,000 homes across the country.
Training and improving skills
Apprenticeships
3.19 We introduced the apprenticeship levy in 2017 to encourage sustained employer
investment in high quality apprenticeships, and in the 2019-20 financial year over £2.5bn per
year is available for investment in apprenticeships in England. That’s double what was spent in
2010 in cash terms. The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the changes to raise
apprenticeship quality, creating long-term, sustainable investment in training. Only around 2%
of employers pay the levy, but income from the levy is also used to fund training for existing
apprenticeship learners and new apprenticeships in employers that do not pay the levy.
3.20 The Government is committed to supporting smaller employers, and has awarded funding
totalling more than £500m to hundreds of providers across the country to deliver apprenticeship
training for non-levy payers between January 2018 and April 2019.
3.21 Our offer supports employers of all sizes to try to improve training and skills throughout
the workforce. From January 2020 small and medium-sized employers who do not pay the
apprenticeship levy have access to the same digital platform as larger companies. This gives
small to medium-sized businesses a greater choice of quality training providers, and facilitates
closer working between smaller employers and training providers, giving employers access to the
skills they need.
173.22 In April 2019 we increased the amount of levy that employers can transfer from 10% to
25%; and reduced the co-investment in apprenticeships made by most employers from 10% to
5% of training costs for new starts. These policy changes were designed to further support the
take-up of apprenticeships by smaller employers
3.23 In April 2019 a further £3.5m was announced for the Institute for Apprenticeships to
introduce new standards and updating existing ones so that more courses can be offered –
meaning more choice for those considering their training options.
3.24 Over 500 standards are already approved, in all sectors of the economy - with more on the
way. There were 248,100 starts on apprenticeship standards reported in the 2018/19 academic
year; an increase of 51.5% on the 163,700 reported for the previous year (2017/18). This
represents 63.1% of all starts reported in the 2018/19 academic year – much higher than the
43.6% starts on standards reported for 2017/18.
3.25 Apprenticeship standards are being taken up in increasing numbers and with enthusiasm
by employers across a wide range of sectors. Employers, providers, and apprentices say that the
standards are creating a step change in the quality of apprenticeships across the country.
However, the apprenticeships programme is complex, and it will take time for all the reforms to
fully bed in. For example, we do not expect all apprentices to be on the higher-quality standards
until around 2025.
The National Retraining Scheme and National Skills Fund
3.26 The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for future changes to the
economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs.
3.27 We are initially investing £100m to develop the scheme, which will give adults whose jobs
are at risk of changing the support and tools they need to retrain and move into a better job.
This funding has allowed us to start delivering the first part of the service, whilst developing and
evaluating as we build-up the scheme.
3.28 The scheme is led and overseen by the National Retraining Partnership – a strategic
partnership the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the
Government. This is an innovative way of working, ensuring the collective voices of businesses
and workers are heard.
3.29 The National Retraining Scheme is being rolled out with a test and learn approach ensuring
that every part of the service works for the people who need it. A series of products are being
developed and tested in parallel, before being released one by one, and eventually making up
the full National Retraining Scheme service. This is a big and complex challenge, which is why
we are starting small, learning as we go.
3.30 The scheme will focus on adults aged 24 and over, without a degree-level qualification and
working below a certain wage threshold that we are testing to focus on those earning low to
medium wages.
3.31 The first part of the scheme, Get Help to Retrain, is now available in 6 areas across the
country and will be rolled out across the country in 2020. We are also progressing other aspects
of the scheme, for example, exploring how technical training can be delivered through the
scheme. We are also developing our online training offer, which aims to tackle the largest
barrier adults face to learning by providing valuable training at a time and place that fits around
their busy lives and responsibilities.
183.32 We are also providing an extra £3bn, over the course of this Parliament, for a new National
Skills Fund that will build on existing reforms to help people learn new skills and prepare for the
economy of the future.
Adult Education Budget (AEB)
3.33 The AEB supports three statutory entitlements enabling eligible learners to access fully
funded training:
• English and maths, up to and including level 2, for individuals aged 19 and over, who
have not previously attained a GCSE grade A* - C or grade 4, or higher, and/or
• First full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23, and/or
• First full qualification at level 3 for individuals aged 19 to 23.
3.34 A fourth statutory entitlement to fully funded specified digital skills qualifications for
adults, aged 19+, with no or low digital skills will come into effect from 1 August 2020.
3.35 The 2019/20 AEB has an allocation of £1.34bn. About 50% of the AEB is devolved to 6
regions and the Mayor of London. These authorities are responsible for the provision of AEB-
funded adult education for their residents, and allocation of the AEB to providers. The ESFA is
responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.
3.36 Further detail on the UK’s approach to investment-related employment policy is set out in
chapter 4.
Sustainable transport
Transport Decarbonisation Plan
3.37 Transport is now the largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The UK Government is clear that transport must play its part in reaching our economy wide
target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and we must step up the pace to deliver a
zero-emission transport system.
3.38 To do so, on 15 October 2019 the Government announced a bold, world-leading plan
that, ahead of COP26, will demonstrate our commitment to a net zero transport sector.
3.39 The Transport Decarbonisation Plan, currently under development, will take for the first
time a holistic and cross-modal approach to transport decarbonisation. It will not only think in
terms of modes of transport, but also technology and places, considering where and how
transport contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them across the UK.
3.40 The full plan will set out in detail what government, business and society will need to do to
deliver the significant emissions reduction needed across all modes of transport and will be
published in due course.
Road transport
3.41 We are investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available
for plug-in vehicles and schemes to support chargepoint infrastructure. On 4th February 2019
the Prime Minister announced that Government is consulting on bringing forward the end to
the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster
transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time.
3.42 Nearly 230,000 ultra-low emission battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars are registered in
the UK, up from just over 1,300 in 2010. The UK now has over 17,000 devices providing over
1924,000 publicly available chargepoints. This includes over 2,400 rapid chargepoints, one of the
largest networks in Europe.
3.43 Our grant schemes and the £400m Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see
thousands more electric vehicle charge-points installed across the UK. The first £70m investment
will create 3,000 new rapid chargepoints, more than doubling the number of rapid
chargepoints across the UK by 2024.
3.44 Along with the private sector we will invest £1bn in charging infrastructure, making sure
that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid electric vehicle charging station.
HGVs
3.45 Alongside the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we are working with industry to develop a
new cross-modal Future of UK Freight strategy to reflect freight’s contribution to carbon
emissions and its role in achieving wider economic goals.
3.46 The strategy will also address long-term challenges and opportunities for freight including
workforce, skills, technology and consumer behaviours.
Rail
3.47 To date, we have delivered hundreds of miles of rail electrification. The Rail Industry
Decarbonisation Taskforce has informed the Government and rail industry’s approach to
decarbonisation over the last year. Network Rail is developing a Traction Decarbonisation
Network Strategy which will examine which parts of the network are best suited to use of
hydrogen trains, as well as battery and electrification. This will inform Government decisions in
2020.
3.48 In February 2019 we invited MPs to work with local authorities and communities across
England and Wales to propose how they could use our £500m fund to reinstate axed local rail
services.
Aviation
3.49 We firmly believe that aviation needs to play its part in reaching the UK’s net zero target –
which already includes domestic aviation emissions. We are carefully considering the September
2019 aviation advice of the Committee on Climate Change and we will publish our position on
aviation and net zero for consultation in due course.
3.50 The Government is committed to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Carbon
Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which was agreed in 2016
and is the first worldwide scheme to address CO2 emissions in any single sector. The UK is
negotiating for ICAO to agree a long-term emissions reduction goal by its 41st Assembly in
2022.
3.51 We are investing £1.95bn from 2013 to 2026 in aerospace R&D but also supporting the
development of the infrastructure and systems needed to foster aviation innovation.
3.52 In August 2019 we announced £300m of joint investment with industry, through the
Future Flight Challenge. This will support the development of innovative aviation systems, the
infrastructure and regulations needed to support them.
Maritime
203.53 The 2019 Clean Maritime Plan set out the UK’s pathway to zero emissions shipping. It
identifies ways to tackle air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions while securing growth
opportunities, placing the UK at the forefront of the global transition to clean shipping.
3.54 Implementation of the Clean Maritime Plan is underway. We have funded two
competitions for early stage innovation projects in clean maritime. We will launch this year a
consultation and a call for evidence on the role of economic instruments in supporting the
transition to zero emission shipping.
Cycling, walking and public transport
3.55 The Statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy aims to double cycling and increase
walking by 2025. Around £2bn is being invested in cycling and walking over this Spending
Review period. A further £350m will be invested over the next four years through the Cycle
Infrastructure Fund with mandatory design standards for new routes.
3.56 Our range of transport and infrastructure funds, including the £1bn Future High Streets
Fund, the £2.45bn Transforming Cities Fund and the £10bn Single Housing Infrastructure Fund
support local authorities in the delivery of the cycling and walking priorities set out in their local
cycling and walking infrastructure plans. A further £350m will be invested over the next four
years through the Cycle Infrastructure Fund with mandatory design standards for new routes.
3.57 The Transforming Cities Fund will provide an opportunity for the industry to work with
local authorities on tackling congestion and bringing communities together. To make bus
journeys more sustainable we have also awarded £48m to local authorities and bus operators
through our Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme. In September 2019 we announced a £220 million
package to transform bus services and deliver a better deal for bus users. This includes creating
Britain’s first all-electric bus town. Furthermore, there are now over 3,000 electric taxis operating
just in London – each supported with up-to £7,500 through our Plug in Taxi Grant.
3.58 On 11 February 2020 the Prime Minister announced a £5bn package of new funding for
buses, cycling and walking. Details of how this funding will be apportioned is expected to be
announced at the Budget, together with details of how it will be profiled and allocated. This
builds on around £2.4bn of investment over the five years to 2020/21, already a doubling of
spend per head over the previous five-year period.
Low carbon and energy transition
3.59 The Climate Change Act 2008 (CCA) established legally binding ‘carbon budgets’, which
cap emissions over successive 5-year periods and must be set 12 years in advance, seeking to put
the UK on a cost-effective pathway to reduce emissions by at least 80% from 1990 levels by
2050 and by at least 34% by 2020. In June 2019 the UK Government passed legislation to set a
new net zero greenhouse gas emissions target for 2050.
3.60 In October 2017, the UK Government published its Clean Growth Strategy setting out
ambitious policies and proposals, through to 2032, to reduce emissions across the economy and
promote clean growth. Since the Clean Growth Strategy was published, the UK Government has
continued to invest in low carbon innovation and energy transition, including through the
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and the Contracts for Difference scheme.
3.61 The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF): The ISCF (also covered in the ‘research and
innovation’ section) provides the private and public sectors with targeted research and
development (R&D) investment in the areas of the Grand Challenges, one of which is Clean
Growth. This funding programme brings together the research base with highly innovative
businesses to provide solutions to major industrial and societal challenges. Investing in strategic
21innovation challenges will create transformative opportunities for businesses and sectors across
the UK. The ISCF is part of the £4.7bn National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF), which will
grow by a further £2.3bn of additional spending in 2021-22. The NPIF supports the
Government’s ambition of increasing R&D investment in the economy to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.
3.62 ISCF is currently funding eight challenges that support clean growth. These include Faraday
Battery Challenge, Prospering from the Energy Revolution, Transforming Construction,
Transforming Food Production, Industrial Decarbonisation, Smart Sustainable Packaging,
Manufacturing Made Smarter and Transforming Foundation Industries.
3.63 The Contracts for Difference scheme: Introduced in GB in 2014, the CfD scheme is the UK
Government’s main mechanism for supporting new low carbon electricity generation projects.
The scheme has been a success, delivering substantial new investment and helping deliver
significant reductions in the cost of some renewable technologies. Renewable generators
located in the UK that meet the eligibility requirements can apply for a CfD by submitting what
is a form of ‘sealed bid’.
3.64 CfD is Government’s main mechanism for supporting low-carbon electricity generation.
Renewable generators located in the UK that meet the eligibility requirements can apply for a
CfD by submitting what is a form of ‘sealed bid’. There have been three auctions, or allocation
rounds, to date, which have seen a range of different renewable technologies competing
directly against each other for a contract. Successful developers of renewable projects enter into
a private law contract with the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC), a Government-owned
company. Developers are paid a flat (indexed) rate for the electricity they produce over a 15-year
period; the difference between the ‘strike price’ (a price for electricity reflecting the cost of
investing in a particular low carbon technology) and the ‘reference price’ (a measure of the
average market price for electricity in the GB market).
3.65 Projects currently supported by the CfD scheme are expected to provide around 16GW of
new renewable electricity capacity by 2025 from a range of technologies. The next CfD
allocation round is planned to open in 2021, and the UK Government plans to hold further
auctions around every two years after that.
3.66 Further information on the UK’s approach to investment-related policy on the low carbon
and energy transition is set out in chapter 4.
Devolved administrations
Northern Ireland
Research and innovation
3.67 Through the work of Matrix, the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel, the Department
for Economy (NI) has identified a series of strategic opportunities for focussed investment in R&D
and skills. For example, Matrix in partnership with the Alan Turing institute undertook an
analysis of research capability in Artificial Intelligence in the Northern Irish universities. This
found that there is sufficient capability to make a case for an AI Centre of excellence at the heart
of an AI cluster in Northern Ireland.
3.68 In addition, Northern Ireland departments through the Small Business Research Initiative
are encouraging the development of new products and services to address public sector needs,
including the use of AI to improve the energy efficiency of water treatment systems.
3.69 Further information on NI’s approach to investment-related R&D policy is set out in chapter
4.
22Housing
3.70 The Northern Ireland Executive is committed to delivering social and affordable housing.
As detailed in previous NRPs, our housing programme is delivered via a comprehensive package
of measures aimed at creating the right conditions for a stable and sustainable housing market
as well as increasing access to affordable housing for those seeking to enter home ownership. In
the absence of Ministers, this work continued in 2019.
3.71 In January 2020, the New Decade, New Approach agreement committed the Northern
Ireland Executive to deliver a programme of actions to enhance the supply of social and
intermediate housing, as follows:
• By augmenting the Programme for Government outcomes framework with a new
outcome and indicators to provide specific focus on ensuring every household has access
to a good quality, affordable and sustainable home that is appropriate for its needs.
• Enhancing investment in new social home starts.
• Bringing forward legislation which is urgently needed to reclassify Housing Associations
as external to the public sector to ensure the continuation of new social house building
and the Co-ownership Housing Scheme.
• Examining options to remove historical debt from the Northern Ireland Housing
Executive (NIHE) and exclude it from having to pay Corporation Tax.
• Agreeing a long-term trajectory for the rental charges of the NIHE. This must be
sufficient to support the long-term future of the NIHE’s social housing stock for future
generations of tenants. This must also always provide demonstrably affordable rents to
tenants.
• Introduction measures including, where necessary, legislation to provide for controls to
ensure affordability.
3.72 Our future housing policy will be focused on delivering against this programme of actions.
3.73 The budget priorities of the Executive for 2020/21 and beyond will establish what this
commitment means, but clearly these priorities should reflect the commitment to increase
investment above current levels.
Training and improving skills
3.73.1 The Northern Ireland Administration is currently implementing major reforms to the
locational education and training system. Details of the reforms are set out in Securing our
Success4, the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Strategy published in June 2014, and Generating
our Success5, Strategy for Youth Training published in June 2015. Both of these strategies are
strongly evidence based, informed by consultation and are widely endorsed.
3.73.2 A key policy focus is placing local employers at the heart of provision. To this end, an
employer-led Strategic Advisory Forum and Sectoral Partnerships have been established ensuring
that employers play a central role in policy development and design of curriculum and delivery.
3.73.3 The Strategic Advisory Forum provides a forum for stakeholders, in particular employers
and employer groups, to engage at a strategic level with Government in the provision of
apprenticeships and youth training. This includes offering advice and guidance on current
4
https://www.economy-
ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/del/Securing%20our%20Success%20The%20NI%20Strategy%20on%20Apprenticeships.pdf
5
https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/del/youth-training-strategy.pdf
23provision, funding and support and future policy development to ensure that vocational and
educational training systems continue to deliver the maximum benefit for employers,
participants, and the economy. In early 2019, four sub-groups were established to consider a
range of areas in greater detail namely addressing barriers for employers, enhancing
communication, public sector apprenticeships and entry level provision.
3.73.4 Higher Level Apprenticeships were introduced at Levels 4 and 5 in September 2017, with
Level 6 and 7 September 2018. The phased implementation plan is on schedule to deliver the
reformed vision for Apprenticeships and Youth Training by 2021.
3.73.5 From September 2020, Northern Ireland plans to introduce a new high quality vocational
education and training programme at Level 2 which will include structured work-based learning
and numeracy & literacy qualifications with the aim of a 5 GCSE equivalent outcome. The
programme will allow young people, who are not yet in employment secure the skills and
qualifications necessary to succeed in their preferred sector or progress to higher levels of
education.
3.73.6 A new programme, Skills for Life and Work, is currently being developed for delivery in
September 2020 to better meet the needs of the changing cohort of young people who are
accessing existing youth training programmes. Skills for Life and Work delivers on a key
commitment in ‘Generating our Success’, the Youth Training Strategy for NI, that young people
who have not ready for a Traineeship will be supported to achieve a full Level 1 qualification
(defined as 4 GCSEs at D – G). The programme has been informed by substantial co-design
activity and the delivery model will enable ongoing design work and lessons from delivery to
inform the programme over the next three years.
Box 3.A: Northern Ireland stakeholder focus
Sectoral Partnerships have been established across key sectors to inform apprenticeship
pathways, content and curriculum. These Partnerships take an employer-led approach to
reforming, designing, developing and agreeing the provision of apprenticeships and youth
training from Level 2 to Level 8 for specific occupations. Membership also includes
representatives from the further and higher education sectors, industry experts and policy
advisors. Ten Sectoral Partnerships are in place with a further nine due to be established.
The Department has worked extensively with key stakeholders including young people, the
Community and Voluntary Sector, current European Social Funded programmes, Youth
Workers and Social Services to develop and finalise the design of the Skills for Work and Life
programme. Using a strong co-design ethos across an extensive network of stakeholders has
enabled the development of genuinely user focused solutions based upon practitioner
experience.
3.74 A key priority for the Northern Ireland Executive is the implementation of the Count, Read:
Succeed Strategy to ensure that children and young people in Northern Ireland have the
knowledge, skills and attitudes to succeed and do well in work and in life. It has a specific focus
on improving outcomes in the key skills of literacy and numeracy.
3.75 The Work Experience Programme, introduced in August 2015 and planned to run until at
least 2020, offers high quality work experience placement opportunities to job-ready
unemployed customers. From 1 April 2017– 30 September 2018, 127 young people
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